Should one always use "Il y a" when describing the weather?

I know certain kinds of weather are expressed with a direct verb, like:

* il pleut

* il neige

* il tonne

But there seems to be multiple ways of describing other kinds of weather, like "it's sunny." I've heard:

* il y a du soleil (which is the example in this lesson)

but also:

* c'est ensoleillé

I've heard both:

* il y a des nuages

as well as:

* c’est nuageux

Are all these versions correct? Is one preferred or in more common use than the other?Thanks!